This study aimed to investigate the characteristics of institutionalized youth and their families. The participants were 155 institutionalized children and adolescents, aged from 7 to 16 years old, from shelters in the metropolitan region of Porto Alegre/RS. Data collection was accomplished through structured interviews, the Academic Achievement Test, the Life Satisfaction Scale and the Five Field Map. Early experimentation of drugs, poor school performances and high levels of school failure were observed among the adolescents. Families presented low educational levels, informal jobs and unemployment. Positive contacts and high life satisfaction in the institution may indicate that the institutional acceptance constitutes a source of support and satisfaction. Intervention programs for the development of those youth and for empowerment of their families are discussed.
institutionalization; academic achievement; life satisfaction; social support network
